Artist: Coldplay

Coldplay is a British quartet that spent much of 2000 being hailed by its native press. The band has chiming guitars, sinuous minor-key melodies, a depressed interest in rocking out, wonder-struck lyrics and a tremulously sensitive-sounding vocalist in Chris Martin. When he warbles, "We live in a beautiful world," on opener "Don't Panic," you can hardly help but look out the window and nod your head in agreement.

What a shame, then, that the CD's appeal turns out to be ephemeral. After a few listens, Martin's doe-eyed croon begins to annoy, especially once you realize from whom he's copping that occasional bend in his voice: Jeff Buckley. And the songs turn out to be merely pretty rather than substantial. The band's big British hit, "Yellow," was a hit for good reason, but after a few spins it begins to sound like a middling Cranberries demo. "Parachutes" isn't hardy enough to survive the winter.